Shohei Ohtani | Starting Pitcher | #17

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Angels manager Mike Scioscia said Saturday that Shohei Ohtani will be available to both pinch-hit and pinch-run on the days that he isn't starting.

Scioscia noted that normally he would never utilize a starting pitcher as a pinch-runner, but with the club proceeding with just a three-man bench they'll need to utilize Ohtani's versatility. Feb 17 - 3:03 PM

Angels manager Mike Scioscia said Tuesday that he plans to employ a six-man rotation in 2018.

This would allow big offseason addition Shohei Ohtani to be used on a similar schedule to what he had in Japan. It could also help rest some of the other arms in the rotation, which come with plenty of question marks. That list includes Garrett Richards, Tyler Skaggs, Andrew Heaney, Matt Shoemaker, Nick Tropeano, and J.C. Ramirez. Feb 13 - 3:55 PM

Shohei Ohtani has a first-degree sprain of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, according to a physical obtained by Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports.

A first-degree sprain is the least severe and this physical was distributed to MLB teams as soon as Ohtani entered the posting system, so there's no real reason for immediate panic. But further damage to the UCL could of course eventually lead to Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery. Ohtani underwent platelet-rich plasma treatment in October to address the discomfort that his damaged UCL was causing. He also has a "small free body" in the elbow, according to the report from Yahoo Sports, but the 23-year-old two-way Japanese star should be a full participant at the outset of Angels camp next spring. Tue, Dec 12, 2017 11:01:00 PM

Angels general manager Billy Eppler said Saturday he doesn't see Shohei Ohtani playing outfield in 2018.

"I don’t anticipate him playing outfield this season," Eppler said at Ohtani's introductory news conference. That's certainly noteworthy, given that he was billed as a two-way star who could play the field when he wasn't on the mound every fifth day. As it is, Ohtani will likely steal at-bats from Albert Pujols at designated hitter, but the aging slugger will certainly get his as well. Perhaps the 23-year-old Japanese star won't be as much as an offensive force as hoped, at least not at first. Sat, Dec 9, 2017 06:44:00 PM

Ramirez threw 50 pitches over two simulated innings in his most recent session at Angels camp in Arizona. The 29-year-old was shut down last August with a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow, but he has made encouraging progress from stem cell therapy. The big test will be pitching in games, but he should be an option for the Angels' rotation or bullpen if healthy.

Alex Meyer will undergo labrum surgery on his right shoulder on Tuesday and will be sidelined until 2019.

Yikes. Meyer has dealt with shoulder issues for years and has been out for nearly all of the second half while battling his latest problem. It's a shame, as while he's never shown an ability to throw strikes consistently, Meyer was missing a bunch of bats this season and posted a sub-4.00 ERA. Now he'll go a year and a half between appearances and might never be the same following the procedure.